October, 2007
Biot is a medieval village located about four kilmetres north of Antibes and the
Mediterranean. Biot is famous for its glass, and was once the domain of the Knights Templar.
Some of the earliest stone remains date from 1566.
The charming small village of Biot
popular with tourists but very quiet on this Sunday.
One of the very old streets in the village. The buildings are all
lived-in and the village itself is not a museum but a place where people live and work and engage in commerce.
A row of lovely old buildings.
Another one of the very narrow streets in the village
with one of the upper streets crossing above.
The entrance to an old church in Biot.
A small square in Biot on the way to the church
Gourdon
Gourdon is a small village perché with the Château de Gourdon dating from the 12th century.
At the edge of the Alpes Maritimes, there are spectacular views of the Loup Valley, as well as
gorges and precipitous dropoffs along the edge of the road leading up the the Village.
The weather was hazy and partly cloudy on the Sunday of our visit so much of the drama
of the landscape is lost in the pictures, but it's possible to get an idea.
The highest mountain across the valley from where the village is situated rises 3,600 feet and
the drop into the valley is about 2,000 feet.
This view is from the road approaching the village through a series of switchbacks and hairpin turns.
Besides the haze, the village perched atop its rock is in shadow now in the late day sun; much of the
detail is lost.
This picture is taken from the village looking toward the
highway and the spot where the previous picture was taken.
The highest peak opposite is 3,600 feet and the distance
to the valley floor is about 2,000 feet.
Another view into the valley from the village.
On a good day you would see straight ahead to the Mediterranean in the vicinity of
Antibes and Juan les-Pins.
I'll visit Gourdon again in September, 2008 and I promise myself to choose a perfectly